Rising Waters: How Could NYC Cope With Higher Sea Levels?

I stumbled upon a stunning and inspiring exhibit at MOMA this weekend. For all of us concerned about climate change, the next 100 years for New York City–and particularly the borough of Manhattan–can be a frightening future to think about. Last February, the Panel on Climate Change found that rising sea levels would quickly submerge vast swaths of the city. So someone decided to do something about it:

“Rising Waters” was initiated by the Latrobe Team, a multi-disciplinary Princeton University affiliated group led by Professor Guy Nordenson, a structural engineer. Each of the five teams was given a geographical area to focus on. The project is meant to create real adaptive solutions for New York city and New Jersey.

The teams chosen by MOMA to explore the problem took up shop at P.S. 1 — the MOMA satellite in Long Island City — in November. Their solutions range from the immediate and practical idea of installing pipes under sidewalks and roadways to divert water to the futuristic restructuring of higher ground areas into small islands connected by water channels. Not only do the solutions provide modes of real action for the area they also depict how New York City might look besieged by tidal waves and rising currents.

A rendering of how the coastline around Lower Manhattan could be engineered to work like a sponge, soaking up extra rain and stormwater.